Thinking Of Getting Breast Implants? You Need To Read This

There's a simple heart test you should do first, cardiologists advise.

A new study has shown that silicone breast implants may interfere with ECG tests. Photo: iStockSource:Whimn

Women with breast implants could be left at greater risk from heart attacks because they interfere with a crucial medical test that detects symptoms, a study warns.

Dr Sok-Sithikun Bun, a cardiologist at Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco, conducted a trial on women and found electrocardiogram (ECG) tests, which measure the electrical activity of the heart, were often unreliable because the silicone implants "got in the way," the BBC reports.

Doctors use the distinctive pattern of peaks and troughs produced by an ECG test to check whether the heart is beating normally. It is used to help diagnose coronary heart disease, irregular rhythms and heart attacks.

Women with breast implants were thought to have abnormal heart rhythms because their silicone implants prevented electrocardiograms giving true readings, leaving them at risk of being falsely diagnosed with a heart attack, or symptoms being missed.

Dr Bun, who is presenting his findings at a conference in Vienna, Austria, said having a heart test before cosmetic surgery could help doctors tell if later readings had been distorted by their implants.

"We do not want to frighten patients, but it may be wise to have an ECG before a breast implant operation," Dr Bun advised.

"The ECG can be kept on file and used for comparison if the patient ever needs another ECG."

He urged women with implants to tell doctors if they were going for an ECG.

"Doctors should be aware that ECG interpretation can be misleading in patients with breast implants. In case of any doubts regarding the diagnosis, blood tests need to be performed depending on the symptoms," Dr Bun said.

The women in the ECG trial were in their early 30s to late 40s and healthy, with no known heart problems.

Dr Mike Knapton, from the British Heart Foundation, said the findings would apply to the significant number of women who have had breast implants, either as a cosmetic procedure or following treatment for breast cancer.

"These findings will help those reading an ECG to avoid the risk of a false diagnosis and any unnecessary follow-up tests or treatment," he said.

With cosmetic surgery dropping in price and soaring in popularity, around 40,000 women are getting implants in Australia each year, according to a recently released study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal.

It remains the most highly sought after cosmetic procedure among Aussies.